New Wounds Covering Old Scars
by frosty600
Summary: AU. Buffy is Angelus' first Childe, he turns her art the young age of 50 when Darla leaves him on his own for the first time. As a human Buffy held so much love and compassion in her heart and soul that those traits infected the demons soul leaving Angelus sorely disappointed in his first Childe and after a short time he abandons her to die and rejoins his Sire. B/A, B/Aus


**PRELUDE**

Willow glanced over at the petite blond vampiress that was standing in her apartment, looking out the window, "You know, we've known each other for almost three weeks now and I still don't know all that much about you," she observed.

Buffy smiled up at the night sky with bemused amusement, "I'm a vampire, part of my charm is mystery," she deflected.

Willow pouted as she closed the lid of her laptop and swivelled her chair around to face Buffy, giving up on trying to work on her assignment, far too distracted by her curiosity.

"Come on, you know heaps about me and I only really know that you're a vampire with a pension for saving people," Willow prodded.

"I wouldn't have to if a certain red headed UC Sunnydale student/Wiccan didn't go walking around after dark in a shady area like demon bait," Buffy retorted, the amused smile still curling up her lips.

"I needed a certain herb for a spell and the magic shop was completely out," Willow defended herself.

Buffy finally turned from the window to look at her friend; the only one she'd truly had since her turning, "Would the magic shop have had more stocked the next day?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I didn't want to wait to try it out," Willow defended herself again, this time shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

Buffy shook her head fondly, but her expression was stern as she observed her friend, "Next time wait," she ordered in a voice that brooked no arguments.

"The spell worked great by the way, in case you were interested, "Willow mumbled.

"I'm sure," Buffy replied as she turned back to the window; she hadn't needed the quirky red head to tell her she was a Wiccan the magic in her blood was obvious to those who knew what to look for.

"One thing I have noticed about you is that you love watching the night sky," Willow commented as she leaned back in her chair.

Buffy lips curled up in a slightly sad smile, "It's the only form of sunlight I have left, even if it is only a pale reflection of the same. I used to love the sun, much to my parents, especially my mother's aggravation. Unlike today tan were definitely not in fashion," she tore her gaze away from the pale half-moon as she turned back around to look at Willow again, "There that's a couple of things that you didn't know about me before," she chirped brightly.

"But that's only the little things. I wanna know some of the good stuff," Willow urged eagerly as she leaned forward in her desk chair.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "And what exactly would the good stuff be exactly?" she asked a little warily, not used to opening herself up to another person anymore.

"How old you are? Who Sired you? What were you like when you travelled with them… your adventures?" Willow rattled off failing to notice in her excitement the Buffy's body had tensed and had become defensive at the mere mention of her Sire.

"I have to go," Buffy muttered as she moved for the door of Willow's one bedroom apartment.

"Already?" Willow questioned surprised, "It's still early… for a vampire anyway," she tacked on as she glanced over at the clock on her microwave.

"I should let you get some sleep, humans need it much more than a vampire of my age… and I have some vampire things to do," Buffy excused herself and was out the door, before Willow could do more than wonder once again at Buffy's age.

"Damn, she was finally starting to open up to," she muttered disappointedly, before shrugging it off and turning back to her computer, figuring that those was always next time she met up with the vampiress that had saved her life.

***O*O*O***

Buffy sighed in relief as she walked into her apartment, her body relaxing as she took in the safe familiar environment of her dimly lit apartment.

_Perhaps I over reacted._

She thought as she tossed her keys onto her coffee table as she passed it on her way to the kitchen. She smiled as the strange stray grey car she had taken in after the little feline had followed her home on her way back from one of her outings, as the female cat pounced up onto the kitchen island in an attempt to frighten her.

"Yes, I know Ms Kitty, I'm getting your kitty food now," she assured the animal as she meowed up at her a little reproachfully.

The cats striking green eyes followed Buffy's every movement as she took out a can of cat food out of the fridge. With a purr and a leap Ms Kitty hurriedly followed after Buffy as she walked towards her empty food bowl. Using the can opener she'd installed on the wall she opened the can and dumped the contents into the bowl whilst holding Ms Kitty back so that she wasn't dumping it on her newly acquired impatient pets head.

"There you go Ms Kitty, enjoy," she murmured as she gave the cats head a pat, before straightening up with a sigh.

_You really are a strange cat, Ms Kitty._ Buffy thought affectionately as she stared down at the cat that was now eating with gusto. Animals of all kinds tended to avoid vampires, their survival instincts telling them to stay away. _Makes sense though, only strange creatures could or want to be friends with a freak of nature._

And she was a freak even by vampire standards.

"What would I do without the strangeness of you and Willow, hey Ms Kitty? I really shouldn't have reacted so badly to the mention of my Sire. It's only natural for her to be curious, right?"

Ms Kitty looked up at her as she licked her lips and meowed up at her reproachfully.

"And you just want to eat, huh? Alright, I'll let ya," Buffy murmured.

Straightening up Buffy moved away from Ms Kitty to let her cat eat in peace as the grey cat went back to her food bowl.

Buffy walked over to the living area and sat herself down on the couch and flicked on the old TV intending to relax and unwind for the rest of the night.

Her mind however had other plans as it drifted to the night she had really met Willow for the first time. It had been just like every other night to begin with she'd fed and then left the bustling crowd to wander the night with no particular destination in mind; having the desire to enjoy the light of the moon and the stars.

The moon had been full that night she recalled and she'd ended up on a high lonesome hill that afforded her an excellent view of the sky.

It had gotten close to midnight when she'd felt a human presence amongst the demonic ones that were lurking about the night and immediately the fell of the hill changed to one of hungry excitement…

Buffy sighed and sat up from her reclining position in the grass, her head turning in the direction of the approaching human, and her keen eyes easily caught sight of the woman in the dark. Buffy shied back from the torch light the young woman was waving over the night.

On instinct Buffy moved swiftly into the shadows, her haze focused on the encroaching human; one she recognised from just seeing her about the town.

Mostly in the Bronze, but occasionally out on the street as well.

_What is a young Witch doing out here this late?_ She wondered curiously. It was what made the human so noticeable to her on the street and in the crowded club; the feel of the magicks surrounding her.

"Where is it? I know it grows around here?" the red head muttered under her breath as she scanned the ground with her torch. Buffy's eyes narrowed as she felt a few more ballsy demons draw closer wanting to taste the magic in the young woman's blood. Most demons left Witch's alone, the risks weren't worth the reward.

_Run._ Buffy silently urged the woman as the ballsy vamps crested the hill. Completely unaware of the danger the woman made a triumphant sound and eagerly bent to the ground to dig.

_Look up, run or something! Just notice!_ Buffy thought agitatedly. _Damn._ She mentally shouted as the vampires surrounded her and finally the witch noticed.

_Finally,_ Buffy thought with relief only for her relief to vanish the next instant as instead of casting a spell to save herself, she began stuttering and her fear washed over the hill in a strong wave, "Some witch," Buffy muttered annoyed as she ran for the nearest tree; breaking off a branch with a crack.

The sound had the vampires looking around a little nervously thinking that perhaps the witch might be trying something. Not seeing anything they growled and lunged for the young witch making her scream in fright.

They paused again however as a small tree branch was thrust through one of their chests.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's just plain rude to pick on a girl?" Buffy quipped as the vamp turned to dust.

"You! You'd turn on your own kind?!" One exclaimed with wide nervous eyes.

Buffy shrugged at the younger vamp, "Why not? I'm a freak of nature, right?"

"You'll die for this you freak!" A slightly older, meatier vamp snarled.

"You're welcome to try, but I should warn you, I'm a survivor," Buffy warned as she twirled her makeshift stake. She didn't need the witch's scream to know that one of the three vamps had leapt at her.

With s smooth movement she raised her arm and let the vamp impale himself on her weapon, "Arial attack, very sloppy. Even vamps as young as you should know better," she taunted as she pulled her stake free of the vamp before he exploded into dust.

She slammed her stake behind her as she felt the younger female charge at her back, the sharp point penetrating her chest.

No way," she heard the vampiress exhale as she tugged her stake free.

"But then, vamps that will attack another that's almost two centuries older than them, can't be all that smart," Buffy continued on as if she hadn't just staked another.

"You're completely insane!" the last vampire exclaimed terrified, "Killing your own kind over some mortal,"

"My kind?" Buffy repeated in a soft dangerous voice, "You are hardly one of my kind. Whoever turned you must have been blind or desperate for some kind of companionship. Tell me when was the last time you washed or even changed your clothes? The 30's?"

At least My Sire didn't abandon me like yours. You human loving freak!" the vamp retorted affronted by her jab. The look in Buffy's eyes afterwards though, made him wish he had kept his mother shut. With a last nervous glance at Buffy's stake he turned and fled.

Buffy watched him for a moment, her hand tightening around her makeshift stake, before she threw the pointed wooden weapon after him; her anger over the painful reminder of her Sire's betrayal not allowing her to let him get away with his un-life.

She watched with satisfaction as the vampire cried out as the wood pierced his heart through his back, his whole body freezing in mid-motion before crumpling into nothing.

Rolling her neck to release the last of the tension, she turned to face the red head witch who was looking at her in wonder. Something she hadn't seen on anyone's face regarding her since her turning…

Buffy was pulled from her thoughts and back to the present as the familiar pull of the rising sun pulled at her senses warningly. Turning off the TV, she stood and made her way to the safety of her bedroom.

Walking down the flight of stairs to the converted basement, she moved to shut the door when a ball of fur shot through the remaining crack.

Buffy chuckled as she shut the door and swiftly changed into her pyjamas. Settling under the sheets, she smiled as she felt Ms Kitty jumping up onto the bed and curling up against her side.

"So now you feel like being all affectionate," Buffy murmured as she began patting her cats grey fur.

A short moment later Ms Kitty began to purr contentedly and nuzzled deeper into Buffy's side.

The only form of love Buffy had received since her Sire's abandonment all those years ago, and as always when her strange cat showed her love, Buffy drifted to sleep with a warmth in her chest.

***O*O*O***

Angel tripped down the stone stair of the crypt, his body aching from tiredness and unsatisfied hunger. He hurried to the stone tomb and quickly sealed himself inside just as dawn truly broke over the sky of Sunnydale.

_Please let the rumours be true. Please let there be someone here who can help me._ Was Angel's last desperate thought, before exhaustion pulled him into sleep.


End file.
